Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with the 3-0 victory over Fulham, even going so far as to call it one of his team's strongest performances of the season.
"It was one of our best performances of the season, especially coming after the experience at Anfield in such an important and emotional match," Guardiola stated. "The next game is always tricky. We were fortunate to be playing at home."
Guardiola made tactical changes, substituting Haaland at halftime and then replacing Bernardo Silva and Rodri early in the second half. He admitted that the team's star players were exhausted and needed a break.
"Bernardo was exhausted, Rodri was exhausted. He (Rodri) didn't lose a single ball, and then in the second half, he lost ten," Guardiola added.
"Now we have a match against Salford, and after that, we need to rest and not see each other. We have an incredibly tough schedule, just like Arsenal, and we will have a free week. It's been very difficult with many injuries. After Salford, we'll need two, three, four, or five days off," the manager concluded.